Decisive Action

Acts 9:123-25 (ESV) – When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.

Acts 9 opens with Paul (then Saul) meeting Jesus in a supernatural encounter. The narrative then moves to Ananias’s vision of Jesus to restore Paul’s sight and give him the rest of his mission. With a start like this, we might expect everything in Paul’s ministry from this point forward to be similarly supernatural, yet he had not even left Damascus before he met his first crisis without clear divine guidance. The Jewish leaders in town did not like how he persuasively preached Jesus as the Son of God. They laid a plot to capture Paul and destroy him.

Notice that the Bible does not say Paul had a supernatural vision or prophecy that let him know about this. God could have destroyed those lying in wait, perhaps with a lightning bolt, but that did not happen. The text does not even show specific divine direction in how Paul and the rest of the Christians chose to act. It seems they just knew they had a crisis that required immediate action, they looked at what they had available (a basket big enough to hold Paul), and decided on a plan to get Paul free. Dropping him over the city wall away from the guarded gate at night meant the guards who sought his life would not be able to see him. The plan worked and freed Paul to continue his ministry.

Crises usually require decisive action. Leaders often emerge in these times by recognizing the situations, the cost of doing nothing, and the opportunities that a good decision can bring. Paul’s solution required cooperation from the rest of the Christians. Perhaps they brainstormed the idea. They certainly worked together to drop Paul in his basket.

Don’t let a crisis paralyze you in indecision. Certainly, be open to divine guidance, but be ready to make the best decision you can with what you have available and don’t hesitate to invite some people to help you decide and make your decision a reality.

The Cure for the Worst Pandemic in History

Romans 5:12 (NRSV) – Sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned.

None of us has ever experienced anything like this COVID-19 Pandemic. It has infected people of every nation on earth. It has brought the economies of the world to a standstill. Many of us have loved ones and friends who have had the virus. Many of those have died.

Yet, as bad as is it and though we do not yet know the final tally, no expert predicts we will see the more than fifty million global deaths the Spanish Flu brought just over a century ago. Even that pandemic’s toll was outdone by the plague known as the Black Death, which likely killed 30-60% of Europe’s population and perhaps as much as 25% of the population of the world in its seven year run from 1346-1353. We can thank God technological advances, medical researchers, and those on the front lines of treatment are making sure we do not see something like that again.

Yet, there is an even worse pandemic that has plagued the world since long before the Black Death. It has infected every human life. Much like how many researchers now believe the coronavirus COVID-19 made a jump from the bat population to humanity by one person’s choice to eat a live bat as part of a ritual, Romans 5:12 tells us sin entered the human race because of one person’s choice. The difference, though, is that, although it is very contagious and deadly, the coronavirus does not infect everyone in range of transmission and less than 25% of those with the virus in most regions die. The verse we read says the pandemic of sin is 100% contagious and 100% deadly: “Death spread to all because all have sinned.”

The evidence for this reality is everywhere: crime, violence, abuse, lying, selfishness. We may want to say, “Nobody’s perfect,” but that is exactly the evidential proof of the universality of sin. None of us is perfect, yet the ultimate outcome of this virus of sin is death. We may be tempted to blame the first one to bring this to humanity, but, as Paul said, “All have sinned.” We are all guilty and helpless on our own to overcome both the pandemic and its effect. (Romans 5:6)

The good news is that there is a cure. “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17, NIV). 

Today, Good Friday, we celebrate that cure being enacted as the only perfect human in history – perfect because he was fully God and fully man and without sin (Hebrews 4:15) – offered himself in our place. He died so we would not have to die eternally. He rose from the dead on the first Easter to show and prove that he truly conquered death.

This Easter, we earnestly pray those seeking a cure for the coronavirus find it quickly. We pray that those healthcare professionals working the front lines stay healthy, and we do pray those with the virus recover. Yet, we can be truly grateful the cure for the worst pandemic history is available to all who receive it. If you have not yet received that gift of God’s grace Jesus Christ has made available to us, I urge you to receive it today and join believers around the world in celebrating his resurrection this Sunday, even if we do it remotely. Christ is risen!

Visions for Others

Acts 9:10-12 (ESV) – Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.'

We committed Christ-followers often want to hear a message from God for ourselves. It is good to want to do what God wants you to do. Yet, the Bible is filled with accounts of people who did not hear from God for themselves but for other people, instead. I believe God has intentionally created an interdependence among his people. The question is if I am willing to play my part even if it is not ultimately about me.

The story of Ananias is a great example of this. At the beginning of Acts Chapter Nine, Saul (later called Paul) was a hater of the church on his way to Damascus to throw Christians into prison. Jesus encountered him in a dramatic way and told him to go to the city where he would be told what to do. (Acts 9:6) Jesus could have told him everything he needed to know then. He certainly had Paul’s attention, but, instead, Jesus chose to use someone else: Ananias.

         1)   A summons from Jesus has one right answer

Jesus called Ananias by name as he did with many others throughout the Bible. Ananias responded like many of them with the right answer: “Here I am” (translated, “Here am I,” in the King James Bible.) These words indicate a total commitment to do whatever God called him to do. Are you ready to say, “Here I am,” if God wants to use you to speak to others?

          2)   Sharing has risk but it is much less than not sharing

Ananias had heard about Paul’s violence against Christians. He had reason to be afraid. You may be afraid to share God’s message with others because you will not know how they respond, but, like Paul, they may not hear everything God wants them to know or experience all the good God has for them if you do not. Ananias was able to share the mission God had for Paul but God also used Ananias’ hands to bring sight back to Paul and fill him with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 9:13-18)

          3)   Those to whom you share may have far more influence than you

We never see this Ananias mentioned again in the Bible, yet the Saul he spoke to on God’s behalf went on to write nearly half of the books of the New Testament, plant churches throughout the eastern half of the Roman Empire, and lay the theological and practical foundations of the church we still follow today. Your obedience to share God’s message with others may not bring you fame, but you could be a part of helping them having a huge impact for eternity. Be ready for God to use you.

Why Has God Allowed the Coronavirus?

Romans 8:22 – “The whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” (NAS) 

If God is truly all powerful and all good and loves all people, why and how can he allow this horrible virus to spread throughout the world and kill so many people? If this question has crossed your mind, you are not alone. Throughout history many people have wondered how evil – whether in nature, like the coronavirus, or as a result of human choices, like the Holocaust – can exist in a universe under the control of a good and loving, yet all powerful, God. Seasons like this one tend to brings this question fresh to the surface again.

Romans Chapter 8 provides a powerful description of both why we suffer in times like this and why we can look forward to a time when we will never suffer again. That chapter is really the culmination of the seven before it, where Paul’s spells out how every person has done wrong and that wrong has dramatic consequences that affect all of humanity and all of the world itself. Sin may not be a popular word today, but it is undeniably real. Just watch the other drivers the next time you are in your car if you doubt the reality of sin. Romans 8:21 says creation is enslaved to corruption because of this sin. The good news is that this season won’t last.

“Everything God created looks forward to the future. That will be the time when his children appear in their full and final glory.” (Romans 5:19, NIrV) The day is coming when there will be no mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4), but that will be when the New Earth comes and the present world will be destroyed.

Now is a season when disease and evil are allowed to exist because it is a season in which sinful people can make the choice to repent, turn from their evil, and seek God’s forgiveness. (II Peter 3:8-10) This is not an absence of God’s goodness or power. It is an opportunity for people to choose. When the day comes when there will be no more war, violence, or coronavirus, your eternity will be set. There will be no more sin. There will be no more sinners. Now pain is a real threat, but we each also have the opportunity to turn to Jesus and receive forgiveness and eternal life. If you have not done that, I invite you to make Jesus your Lord right now. Ask him to forgive the wrong that you have done and empower you to live your life for him.

Can God stop the coronavirus? Absolutely. I pray he will end its effects soon and bring healing to all those afflicted. In the meantime, we can know “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18, ESV)

Don’t Let Your Heart Be Troubled

John 14:1 - "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." 

As I write this, we are in what may be the strangest times we have ever seen. Nearly the whole world has shut down to try to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19. My University has gone to remote instruction. All large gatherings are cancelled. Restaurants are closing. The stock market is having its worst days in more than thirty years. The natural thing for people to do in such a time is to let panic and fear take hold. We don’t know what will happen in the future. How bad will it get?

Jesus’ disciples were facing their own challenging time as Jesus said these words from John 14 at the Last Supper. In just a few hours, he would be taken from them by soldiers to stand a series of sham trials. In a few more hours, the one in whom they had put all of their trust and hope would be executed on a cross. They would likely be the next targets for execution or imprisonment. The disciples seemingly had reason to be deeply emotionally disturbed, but Jesus gave them a command that I believe he would give to each of us: Let not your hearts be troubled. This phrase shows us some important things we still need to remember in our own turbulent times:

          Fear is natural – Jesus gave this command because he expected the disciples to have troubled hearts. Our hearts, too, naturally wander into fear and trouble in challenging times, but they don’t have to.

      Fear is a choice – Jesus would not give a command we would not be able to keep. Note how even personifies the heart as a separate entity. Jesus is literally commanding our hearts to not be troubled. It can seem hard for us to believe we can control our emotions, but that is the lesson Jesus has for us. We must put something else into our hearts.

      Believing in Jesus is the antidote to fear – Jesus gives us the alternative that can eliminate the fear: “Believe in God; believe also in me.” Tough times can truly test our faith, but believing and trusting in Jesus allows us to experience his presence and access his power that overcomes our fear.

      Better times await – Over the next few verses, Jesus gives us the promise that a he is preparing an eternal place for us. Although we will have difficult seasons in this life that place Jesus prepares for us will be free from all fear. Believing in that hope and promise can give us peace in the most challenging of situations: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)  

I pray you know and experience Jesus’ peace today.

Complete Life Change

Acts 9:4-5 (NIV) – He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.

Have you had a life changing experience? The most dramatic of those usually only come once in a lifetime and define us for the rest of our lives. I have shared my own story of encountering Jesus on a trip to Northern Arizona hundreds of times because my life started in a completely different direction that day and I have never gone back.

Jesus came to Paul (then known as Saul), in such a life changing encounter, on the road to Damascus. We first read it in Acts 9, but it is so significant to Paul and the whole Christian church that Luke recorded it three different times in Acts. Your personal life changing encounter with Jesus won’t be exactly like Paul’s, but it is likely to have one or more features that Paul’s had:

1. You won’t expect it - Paul was not seeking Jesus when he met him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-2).
2. Jesus will give you a new life mission – Paul’s life purpose went from destroying the church to expanding it throughout the then known world (Acts 26:14-18).
3. Jesus will not promise it to be easy but he will ultimately promise to make a difference in others’ lives through you – Jesus warned Paul he would suffer at the hands of those he tried to help but many would come to receive eternal life (Acts 9:16; 22:15; 26:16-18).
4. Others will see a change in you but may not understand it – Paul’s traveling companions saw the light when Jesus came but they did not understand his voice (Acts 22:9).
5. You may need others to help you fully understand what follow Jesus will mean for you – Jesus did not tell Paul everything he needed to know in the first encounter. Instead, he called the Christian Ananias to Paul and give him the rest of the details he needed to know then (Acts 9:10-16; 22:10-16).

How many of these have you experienced in the ways Jesus has called you?

What Should We Do?

Acts 2:37 (ESV) – Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

This question was the first of many Peter received as the most prominent leader of the church’s earliest years. The Jews who just heard him preach had seen the sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit and knew something was happening. They had experienced the conviction of the Holy Spirit but they did not fully understand the working of the Holy Spirit, let alone how or if the Spirit would speak to them personally. They did what most of us would in such a situation. They asked someone who looked like he did know what was happening. They asked the man who had just preached to them and those with him, “What should we do?”

Note how Peter answered them. Luke gives us no record of divine revelation for an answer to such an important question. Instead, Peter drew on what he had seen and learned from Jesus. The first word of instruction he gave was the same word Matthew used to summarize Jesus’ preaching in Matthew 4:17, “Repent.” The call for water baptism is a core piece of the Great Commission Jesus gave them just a few days before (Matthew 28:19). Of course, the Holy Spirit had just filled Peter and the rest of the disciples and He no doubt empowered Peter’s boldness as well possibly forging the lessons from Jesus’ ministry into Peter’s mind then words. Did Peter’s response come from his own reasoning or the Holy Spirit’s inspiration? In all likelihood, both contributed. This is likely the kind of wisdom James tells us to pray for (James 1:5) and Solomon tells us to seek (Proverbs 2:6 et al). It is God-given but can use either or both supernatural guidance and natural reasoning, drawing from learning and experience as well as inspiration.

Decision-making is a core component of leadership and wisdom is key to good decision-making. People will continue to seek those who are wise for direction in their lives. We grow more wise as we learn from those who are wise, reason through our own experience, and seek the Holy Spirit’s inspiration.